Is Sponsorship Right for My Company

Trade shows are a bonanza of sponsorship opportunities. Talk with any show organizer, and they'll be more than happy to explain how you can make sure your company's name and logo are plastered all over the arena, on the program guide, over the hospitality suite, even on the tote bags everyone carries around all day.

It's just a simple matter of money - lots of money. Spend enough, and at some conferences, you can get a seat on the event planning committee.

Is all that cash worth it? How do you know that sponsorship is right for your company? Is there a way to determine if underwriting aspects of a trade show will help your bottom line?

Absolutely.

First, it's imperative to understand exactly what sponsorship is. Full Article.

2010 TSEA Exhibitors' Choice Awards Nominations - Due By June 15

Nominations are now open for TSEA's 2010 Exhibitor's Choice Awards which will once again recognize the best in the industry.

The awards identify companies and individuals who have made outstanding contributions to exhibitors’ success in the face-to-face events industry. TSEA is asking exhibitors to submit nominations for their preferred TSEA suppliers and shows in any or all categories.

The nomination process will take approximately 10-15 minutes. Categories include:

• Best Exhibit House
• Best Show City
• Best Convention Center
• Best General Contractor
• Best Installation and Dismantling Company
• Best Transportation/Freight Company
• Outstanding Show Manager
• Best AV Company
• Best Marketing/Promotion Company
• Best of the Rest
• Best New Innovation
• Best Show of 2010
• Best Show – 50,000 sq. ft and under
• Best Show – 50,000 – 100,000 sq. ft
• Best Show – 100,000+ sq. ft

To submit, complete the entry form, and send it to the TSEA by June 15, 2010. Self-nominations are accepted. Nomination forms can be found here and should be submitted to reddiamondawards@tsea.org.

Nominations will be tabulated by a panel and voting for your favorite among the finalists will continue on the TSEA website. Voting will take place between June 16 and July 10, and winners will be announced at TSEA’s Red Diamond Gala on July 14, 2010 in Boston in conjunction with TS².

To be honored for this award, nominees should demonstrate the following:
1) A significant contribution to exhibitors' success.
2) A degree of innovation through products, programs, new ideas, etc.
3) A shared vision for attaining exhibitors' goals.
4) Someone that sets the bar high.
5) Has a reputation for the highest ethical standards and respect from peers
and clients.

Fax your nomination form to TSEA Headquarters at 312.842.8732 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 312.842.8732 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or email to reddiamondawards@tsea.org until June 15, 2010. If you have any questions, please contact Dave Brull at 312.949.5795 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 312.949.5795 end_of_the_skype_highlighting or dbrull@tsea.org.

*Nominees must be TSEA members with the exception of Outstanding Show Manager and Favorite Show of the Year. To view the full list of TSEA allied members, please visit TSEA’s Buyer’s Guide.

About the TSEA Foundation

TSEA’s Exhibit Industry Education Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization, is the research, information and fund-raising foundation for the Trade Show Exhibitors Association (TSEA) benefiting the members of the $124 billion exhibit and event industry comprised of businesses, non-profit associations and for-profit entities that participate in, exhibit at and produce trade shows. It funds specialized research on the exhibit and event industry, provides a variety of workshops, seminars and professional development opportunities and access to specialized research and reference assistance. The Foundation plays a key leadership and advocacy role for the exhibit and event industry and acts as a voice for the sector, articulating the data, reach, impact and contributions made possible through exhibit and event marketing.

Nomination form

NEW WHITE PAPER: The Evolving Role Of Exhibit Marketers

To capture the changing spirit of the early 1960s, Bob Dylan sang, “The times, they are a-changin.’” Today, the times are rapidly changing for exhibit marketers.

Exhibit marketers now face a slew of fresh challenges, including increased responsibilities, new technologies, difficult internal communications, fluctuating budgets, and limited support. And of course exhibit marketers still have their day job: creating memorable events with measurable return on investment. Full article.

Chicago's McCormick Place Labor Reform Law Passed

Last week, the Illinois General Assembly overrode a veto by Governor Pat Quinn and passed a law designed to reduce labor costs and make Chicago more competitive as a convention destination. Read about the major changes in store for exhibitors and show organizers.

EXHIBITOR Magazine's All-Star Awards Now Accepting Entries

6/1/2010 - EXHIBITOR Magazine is now accepting entries for the 13th Annual All-Star Awards, honoring the individual accomplishments of exhibit and event marketers.

This free-to-enter competition honors marketers who have faced a specific problem or challenge, implemented an innovative solution, and achieved measurable, numeric results. While the competition has traditionally honored exhibit marketers, this year's competition is open to both B2B and B2C event marketers as well. More.

Real-time social media engagement the next big thing at tradeshows

Let’s not kid ourselves. Your industry tradeshow might still be the surest way to gather a large amount of sales leads, but your tradeshow presence is a very expensive proposition that shows up as a major line item in your marketing budget. Considering today’s economic climate you must do everything to get the most out of your participation. How? Compared to tradeshow sponsorships an advertising social media engagement is still relatively inexpensive and might be the silver bullet that will distinguish you from all the other exhibitors at your next event.

Here are some pointers to help you get started. Full article.

A Tradeshow Checklist, Born of Experience

It’s easy to waste time and money at tradeshows. It’s not just the booth ($2k-$20k) and travel expenses ($1000/day including airline, hotel, rent car, shipping, and buying an extension cable at an outrageously overpriced convention center office supply center), it’s the week of time spent at the show (including travel days) plus weeks of time spent preparing your strategy, crafting your sales pitches, organizing the booth crap, and chewing out the stoned guy at the print shop counter who claims to not see that the “red” in the color swatch is not the same as the “red” in your 6′ x 6′ banner.

Tradeshows are a combination of high-level strategy and low-level minutiae, so a checklist comes in handy. Full article.